As soon as he hears the 30-second countdown to curtain call, freshman Leo Aguilar rushes to the stage, where the stylists make their finishing touches on his appearance. With the spotlight brightly shining down on Aguilar’s face, he is once again standing where he belongs, in front of his thousands of adoring fans.
Since Aguilar was born into a family of music, his talent came naturally and his passion for the music industry flourished. For over two years, Aguilar has performed Mexican songs all over North America, and with the help of his family, he is working to take away the stereotype that Mexican music is violent.
“Music has become fierce because of the things happening in Mexico,” said Aguilar. “I want to take that typecast away by doing what I love: singing.”
Aguilar moved from Mexico to America at the age of 7. Every week Aguilar and his family fly back to their homeland in order to keep up with interviews and concerts. Even though Aguilar is only 15 and lives his life on the road, he can proudly say that he lives with no regrets.
“In every interview I always get asked, ‘would you consider stopping?’” said Aguilar. “My response is always the same. If I did not enjoy what I was doing I would not be standing here in front of this microphone or camera.”
In the beginning of Aguilar’s career, he focused more on gaining experience. His first album, which featured his younger sister, had an audience that consisted of only the Latin youth. Although the album may have not sold many copies, the experience allowed Aguilar to popularize his name throughout the industry. On his second record entitled Nueva Tradicion, Aguilar plans to separate from his sister and create his own style.
“I do full-out Mexican music,” said Aguilar. “I prefer to sing more intense things like jazz, pop, metal and mariachi. They all allow me to branch out and create my own identity.”
The previous generations of Aguilar’s family are also famous in show business. Antonio Aguilar, Leo’s grandfather, was a famous singer, songwriter, actor, film producer and screenwriter. Following in his footsteps, Leo’s father Pepe Aguilar also pursued a career in the music industry. Although Aguilar’s father assisted Leo in helping him gain a large portion of his fan base, Aguilar is slowly but surely building a fan base of his own.
“But just because we have the Aguilar last name does not mean we are set,” said Aguilar. “You have to do something people like in order to be successful. Last names do not sing, I do.”
Aguilar’s goal as a musician is not to become famous but instead to become an artist; fame is just a perk.
“You can be whatever you want to be,” said Aguilar. “Do not do anything to satisfy anyone else’s needs.”
